Rules Quiz 2013 - Answers

Question 1

After John hits his tee shot on the first hole, he discovers that he has forgotten his putter and only has 13 clubs in his bag. He may return to the locker room to collect his putter and add it to his bag providing he does not unduly delay play – true or false?

Jane’s ball is lying on the putting green close to the edge of the green. She is standing in an area of ground under repair; however the nearest point where she has relief from interference by the ground under repair is off the putting green. If she decides to take relief, how must she proceed?

A - Jane must find the nearest point of relief that is on the putting green and place the ball at that point.B - Jane must place the ball at the nearest point of relief, off the putting green.C - Jane must drop the ball at the nearest point of relief, off the putting green.

In a Stableford competition, David is acting as John’s marker. He records John’s gross score for the par 4 3rd hole as a 4 and his Stableford points as 3. The gross score is correct; however, he only scored 2 Stableford points (as he was not receiving a stroke at the hole). At the end of the round, they both sign the score card and John returns it to the Committee. John should be disqualified for signing for a higher number of Stableford points than he actually scored - true or false?

In match play, on the Par 3 4th hole, Jane hits her tee shot into the trees and announces that she is going to play a provisional ball, which she manages to hole. As a result, she does not want to look for her original ball, however her opponent starts searching for it. What is the ruling?

A - The provisional ball became the ball in play as soon as Jane holed it from the tee.B - The provisional ball becomes the ball in play as soon as Jane picks it out of the hole, provided the original ball has not already been found in bounds within five minutes of her opponent starting to search for it.C - The provisional ball becomes the ball in play only if Jane’s opponent does not find her original ball in bounds within five minutes of starting to search for the original ball, irrespective of whether Jane has picked her ball out of the hole.

Chris’s tee shot finishes in a palm tree approximately 3 metres above the ground. He identifies the ball as his, but he is unable to retrieve the ball. Chris wishes to declare the ball unplayable and proceed under option c of Rule 28 which permits him to drop a ball within two club-lengths of where his ball lay. What is the ruling?

A - As the ball is more than two club lengths from the ground, Chris may not proceed under this option.B - As the ball is more than two club lengths from the ground, Chris may drop the ball at the point directly below where the ball lay, not nearer the hole.C - Chris may drop a ball within two club-lengths of the point directly below where the ball lay, not nearer the hole.

John’s bunker shot hits the lip of the bunker and rebounds into the same bunker several yards closer to the hole. He swung the club into the sand in frustration, but his actions did not affect his new lie in the bunker. What is the penalty in stroke play?

A - There is no penalty.B - John incurs a penalty of one stroke.C - John incurs a penalty of two strokes.

Jane and her fellow-competitor see her ball land in a large area of casual water in the middle of the fairway. She is unable to find and identify her ball but wants to take relief from the casual water. What is the ruling?

A - Jane must estimate where her ball lies, find her nearest point of relief based on that point and drop a ball within one club-length of that spot no nearer the hole.B - Jane must estimate where her ball last crossed the outermost limits of the casual water, find her nearest point of relief based on the ball lying at that spot and drop a ball within one club-length of the nearest point of relief no nearer the hole.C - As Jane is unable to find and identify her ball she is unable to take relief from the casual water.

John addresses his ball on the putting green but before he putts, the ball rolls and comes to rest one inch closer to the hole. There is no evidence that an outside agency, wind or any other condition caused his ball to move. What is the ruling in stroke play?

A - John must play the ball as it lies with no penalty.B - John must replace the ball on the spot from where it moved with no penalty.C - John must replace the ball on the spot from where it moved incurring a one stroke penalty.

Phil finds a ball which he believes to be his lying in some thick rough, but he cannot see his identification marks. When proceeding under Rule 12-2 (Lifting Ball for Identification), which one of the following statements is incorrect?

A - Phil may rotate the ball on the spot without marking it.B - Phil must allow his marker, his fellow-competitor or a referee the opportunity to observe him marking, lifting and replacing the ball.C - Phil may clean the ball to the extent necessary to identify the ball.

Jane’s ball lies next to a rabbit scrape but it is not possible for her to make a stroke at the ball as it lies between two large tree roots. She may take relief from the rabbit scrape without penalty – true or false?

John hits his ball out of the bunker and the ball comes to rest just off the putting green. Some of the sand from his bunker shot lies between his ball and the hole. Which of the following statements is correct?

A - John may not remove any sand lying between the ball and the hole whether it lies on or off the putting green.B - John may remove only the sand lying on the putting green.C - John may remove any sand lying between the ball and the hole whether it lies on or off the putting green.

As Paul is lining up his putt on the 12th green, a dog runs onto the green, picks up Paul’s ball and drops it several feet further away from the hole. What is the ruling?

A - Paul must play the ball from where it now lies.B - Paul must replace the ball on the spot from where the ball was picked up.C - Paul must drop the ball as near as possible to the place where the ball was picked up.

As Jane bends down to mark the position of her ball, her putter slips out of her hand and moves her ball. What is the ruling?

A - There is no penalty and Jane must replace the ball.B - Jane incurs a one-stroke penalty and she must replace the ball.C - The movement of the ball with the putter counts as a stroke and Jane must play the ball from where it lies.

John’s ball lies in casual water in a bunker and there is nowhere available for him to drop the ball within the bunker that will provide him with full relief that is not nearer the hole. Which one of the following options is available to the player without penalty?

A - John may drop the ball in the bunker at the nearest point to where his ball lies that provides him with full relief. This point may be closer to the hole.B - John may drop the ball in the bunker at the nearest point not nearer the hole that provides him with the maximum possible relief.C - John may drop the ball outside the bunker, keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped.

Jane’s ball lies in a bunker and during her backswing for the stroke, Jane touches a leaf in the bunker that is lying behind her ball. She completes her stroke and hits the ball onto the green. What is the penalty?

A - There is no penalty.B - Jane incurs a penalty of one stroke.C - Jane incurs a penalty of two strokes.

In match play, a stake defining out of bounds is interfering with John’s swing. With the intention of taking relief without penalty, John lifts his ball and drops it within one club-length of the nearest point of relief from the stake and plays the ball from its new position. What is the penalty?

A - There is no penalty.B - John incurs a penalty of one stroke.C - John loses the hole.

John hit's his second shot from the fairway and thinks it might be lost in the water hazard short of the green. It is clearly not lost outside the water or out of bounds. He plays a second ball from the fairway, as near as possible to where his original ball was last played, declaring it to be a provisional ball. John then finds his original ball in an unplayable position in the water hazard. How must John proceed?

A - John must continue with his original ball.B - John must continue with the second ball played from the fairway.C - John may choose whether to carry on with his original ball or with his provisional ball.